Mar 27, 2013 - smartphones, tablets and laptops on people's news consumption habits. Survey participants were top income
BBC World News and BBC.com release world’s largest global study of news consumption habits across multiple devices Survey finds tablets complement TV viewing and finds 25-34 age demographic the biggest news enthusiasts
27 March 2013— BBC World News and BBC.com/news have today released the results of the largest global study to date on the consumption of news in the digital age. The study, which was conducted by InSites Consulting, surveyed more than 3,600 owners of digital devices in Australia, Singapore, India, UAE, South Africa, Poland, Germany, France and the US in order to determine the growing impact of TV, smartphones, tablets and laptops on people’s news consumption habits. Survey participants were top income earners and owners of at least three devices amongst television, tablet, smartphone and laptop/desktop. Key findings include:
Tablet owners watch more TV news, not less, with 43% of tablet users saying they consume more TV than they did five years ago, and most saying they use tablets alongside TV. Young professionals, the 25-34 year old demographic are the biggest news enthusiasts. Second screening for news is becoming commonplace, with users often using devices in tandem. 83% of tablet users say they have used their tablets while watching television. TV still dominates overall usage, taking 42% of people’s news consumption time compared with laptops (29%), smartphones (18%) and tablets (10%). News audiences expect to see advertising nearly as much on mobile (79% tablet, 84% smartphone) as they do on TV (87%) and online (84%). People respond to advertising across all the screens, with 1 in 7 users indicating they responded to a mobile ad in the last four weeks whilst responses to TV and desktop are 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 respectively.
The survey found that, rather than competing, different platforms complement one another allowing people to layer their device usage throughout the day. Smartphones and laptops are most popular throughout the working day, peaking at around 1pm. TV usage spikes dramatically from 5pm onwards, and at its peak time of 7pm TV use is 50% higher than for any other device. The survey also found that, in breaking news situations, users turn to television as their primary and first device (42%), with the majority (66%) then turning to the internet to investigate stories further. Users rated national and international news of most importance (84%, 82%), closely followed by local news (79%). Financial and business news (61%) were more highly valued than news about sports (56%) and arts/entertainment news (43%). Jim Egan, CEO of BBC Global News Ltd recently visited Australia/New Zealand and presented results from the study, he comments: “Avid news consumers are hungry for information wherever they are and expect to stay in touch on all the devices they now own. There’s been speculation for years that mainstream uptake of smartphones, laptops and tablets will have a negative impact on television viewing,
but this study has found that the four devices actually work well together, resulting in greater overall consumption rather than having a cannibalising effect.” For more information and an infographic on the findings contact: Nicole Hurren, Senior Communications Executive, BBC Worldwide Australasia. Email:
[email protected] ph: 02 9744 4551, 0477 349 947
Ends. Notes to editors: BBC Channels including BBC World News are available on Foxtel Go. Foxtel Go now offers 60 live streaming channels and over 50 channels providing On Demand Catch Up programming covering all Foxtel’s genres – drama, entertainment, documentaries, movies, sport, news, lifestyle, music and kids. Foxtel customers can watch Foxtel Go included with a subscription on compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Customers will see channels and content from the channels they subscribe to only. About BBC World News and BBC.com BBC World News and bbc.com/news, the BBC’s commercially funded international news platforms are owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd, part of the BBC News Group. BBC World News, the international 24-hour news and information channel is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 350 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. The channel's content is also available on 151 cruise ships, 40 airlines and 23 mobile phone networks. For further information on BBC World News visit bbc.com/tvschedule. bbc.com is one of the most respected brands on the internet and complements BBC World News in its offering of high quality, up-to-the minute international news, business, sports, weather, lifestyle, technology content and in-depth analysis. Launched in November 2007, the site attracts 58 million unique visitors each month and is available on PCs, tablets and mobile devices. It is the global online destination of choice for audiences who demand the full picture. BBC Advertising sells advertising and sponsorship solutions on behalf of BBC World News and bbc.com. For more information on BBC Advertising see http://advertising.bbcworldwide.com
